The Vatican Information Service is a news service, founded in the Holy See Press Office, that provides information about the Magisterium and the pastoral activities of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia...[+]

Last 5 news

Thursday, June 30, 2005

- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of Westminster, Great Britain, presented by Bishop James O'Brien, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Msgr. Bernardo Alvarez Afonso, vicar general of San Cristobal de La Laguna, Tenerife (area 3,328, population 915,262, Catholics 823,736, priests 260, permanent deacons 3, religious 554), Spain, as bishop of the same diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Brena Alta, Spain, in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1976. He succeeds Felipe Fernandez Garcia, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese was accepted by the Holy Father, in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2, of the Code of Canon law.

- Appointed Fr. Krzysztof Bialasik S.V.D., secretary for pastoral care of the Bolivian Episcopal Conference, as bishop of Oruro (area 53,588, population 403,521, Catholics 342,993, priests 36, permanent deacons 5, religious 133), Bolivia. The bishop-elect was born in Zbaszyn, Poland, in 1958 and ordained to the priesthood in 1985.

- Appointed Fr. Ricardo Ernesto Centellas Guzman, vicar general of the archdiocese of Sucre, Bolivia, as auxiliary of Potosi (area 118,218, population 723,494, Catholics 651,144, priests 63, permanent deacons 5, religious 105), Bolivia. The bishop-elect was born in Suquistaca, Bolivia, in 1962 and ordained a priest in 1988.RE:NER:NEA/.../... VIS 20050630 (230)

VATICAN CITY, JUN 30, 2005 (VIS) - At noon today, the Pope received Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, and the 32 metropolitan archbishops who yesterday received the pallium, accompanied by members of their family.

The Holy Father greeted each of the new metropolitan archbishops individually, and assured them: "I remain united to you with affection and prayer; at the same time I ask you to continue to walk together, united by the same feelings of harmony and of love for Christ and His Church."

Turning to Cardinal Sodano, Benedict XVI thanked him for "the collaboration given over many years to Peter's Successor, I extend my thoughts to all the members of the College of Cardinals, with gratitude for the support and prayer with which they accompany my service as pastor of the universal Church."

Speaking to Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, the new metropolitan archbishop of Krakow, Poland, the Pope thanked him "for all you have done for John Paul II, and for me personally."AC/.../METROPOLITAN ARCHBISHOPS VIS 20050630 (180)

VATICAN CITY, JUN 30, 2005 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed the delegation sent to Rome for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul by His Holiness Bartholomew I, ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople. An ecumenical delegation traditionally visits Rome for the June 29 feast, whereas a delegation from Rome attends celebrations in Istanbul for the November 30th feast of St. Andrew, patron of the ecumenical patriarchate.

The Pope underscored the "dialogue of charity" between Catholics and Orthodox "begun on the Mount of Olives by Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, an experience which was not in vain. Many significant gestures have been made since then: I am thinking of the abrogation of the reciprocal condemnations of 1054, of the speeches, documents and encounters promoted by the Sees of Rome and Constantinople. These have marked the path of recent decades."

He also referred to Pope John Paul's encounter and "fraternal embrace" in St. Peter's Basilica, months before his death, with the ecumenical patriarch. He noted that "our path is long, and not easy" but it has "seen hope grow for a solid 'dialogue of truth' and a process of theological and historical clarification, which has given appreciable fruits."

"There is need," said Benedict XVI, "to join forces, to spare no energy so that the official theological dialogue, which began in 1980 between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches all together, will resume with vigor." He expressed his "recognition to Patriarch Bartholomew who is working very hard to reactivate the work of the Mixed International Catholic-Orthodox Commission. I assure him that it is my firm will to support and encourage this action. Theological research, which must face complex questions and seek solutions that are not reductive, is a serious commitment that we cannot avoid.

"If it is true that the Lord calls with force His disciples to build unity in charity and truth; if it is true that the ecumenical appeal is a pressing invitation to rebuild, in reconciliation and peace, the unity, seriously damaged, of all Christians; if we cannot ignore that division makes the holy cause of proclaiming the Gospel to every person less efficient, how can we avoid the duty of examining with clarity and good will our differences? ... The unity we seek is neither absorption nor fusion but respect for the multiform fullness of the Church which, conformed to the will of her founder Jesus Christ, must always be one, holy, catholic and apostolic."

The Holy Father asked the delegation to inform Patriarch Bartholomew of his "intention to pursue with firm determination the search for full unity among all Christians."AC/UNITY/ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE VIS 20050630 (440)

VATICAN CITY, JUN 29, 2005 (VIS) - Given below is a list of the 32 metropolitan archbishops who received the pallium in the course of a Eucharistic celebration held in the Vatican Basilica today, June 29, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles:

- Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, for the title of the suburbicarian Church of Ostia

VATICAN CITY, JUN 29, 2005 (VIS) - Pope Benedict, in reflections made before reciting the Angelus today with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, many of whom had just attended the Mass where he bestowed palliums on 32 metropolitan archbishops, spoke of today's feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, and of the Petrine ministry of the bishop of Rome.

Telling Romans that he feels close to them on this feast of their patron saints, he said: "Divine Providence called me to be your pastor. I thank you for the affection with which you have welcomed me and I ask you to pray that Sts. Peter and Paul obtain for me the grace to faithfully fulfill the pastoral ministry entrusted to me. As bishop of Rome, the Pope performs a unique and indispensable service to the Universal Church: he is the perpetual and visible beginning and foundation of the unity of bishops and of all the faithful."

Referring to the just-concluded Mass and imposition of the pallium, "the liturgical sign of the communion that links the See of Peter and his Successor to metropolitans and, through them, with all bishops in the world," the Holy Father noted the presence at today's ceremony of the delegation of the ecumenical patriarchate of Constantinople whom he cordially welcomed. "How can we not recall today," he said, "that the primacy of the Church that is in Rome and of her bishops is a primacy of service to Catholic communion. Starting with the double martyrdom of Peter and Paul, all Churches began to look to the one in Rome as a central reference point for doctrinal and pastoral unity."

"May the Virgin Mary, concluded Benedict XVI, "obtain for us that the Petrine ministry of the Bishop of Rome is not seen as a stumbling block but as a support in the walk on the path of unity."

Following the Angelus prayer and greetings to the faithful in various languages, Pope Benedict went to the Domus Sanctae Marthae in the Vatican for lunch with the delegation from the ecumenical patriarchate. They were joined by several other members of the Roman Curia.ANG/PETRINE MINISTRY:UNITY/... VIS 20050630 (360)

VATICAN CITY, JUN 29, 2005 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica today, solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, the Pope presided at a Eucharistic celebration during which he conferred the pallium on Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, and on 32 metropolitan archbishops from 21 countries.

As is traditional, the Mass was attended by a delegation from the ecumenical patriarchate of Constantinople, led this year by Ioannis (Zizioulas), metropolitan of Pergamo, and including Gennadios (Limouris), metropolitan of Sassima, and the archimandrite Bartolome, under-secretary of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

In his homily, the Pope pointed out that today's feast "is both a grateful remembrance of the great witnesses to Jesus Christ, and a solemn confession in support of the Church, one, holy, catholic and apostolic. It is, above all, a feast of catholicity."

"Catholicity," he explained, "means universality: multiplicity that becomes unity, unity that still remains multiplicity." On this subject, the Holy Father also expressed his joy at being able "to give the Church a new guide for the transmission of faith, one that helps us to a better understanding, and hence a better experience, of the faith that unites us: the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church."

Benedict XVI insisted that the compendium must not be read like "a novel. It must be meditated upon calmly in each of its individual parts to allow its contents, through the use of images, to penetrate the soul. I hope that this is how it will be welcomed and that it may become a reliable guide for the transmission of the faith."

Addressing the new metropolitan archbishops, the Pope recalled that the pallium they were about to receive is "an expression of our apostolic mission. It is an expression of our communion which has its visible guarantee in the Petrine ministry. The Petrine service is associated with both unity and apostolicity. It visibly reunites the Church of all places and times, thus defending us all from sliding into that false autonomy which can all too easily lead to interior splits in the Church, and thus compromise her internal independence."

The Pope then went on to greet members of the delegation of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople. "Although we still do not agree on the question of the interpretation and extent of the Petrine ministry, we do concur on Apostolic succession, we are profoundly united with one another over episcopal ministry and the Sacrament of the priesthood, and together we confess the faith of the Apostles as it was given us in Scripture, and as interpreted by the great councils.

"In the world at this time so full of skepticism and doubt, but also rich in the desire for God, we again recognize our mission of bearing witness together to Christ the Lord and, on the basis of the unity that has been granted us, to help the world to believe. We pray to the Lord with all our heart that He may guide us to full unity so that the splendor of truth, that alone can create unity, again becomes visible in the world."

Benedict XVI concluded by highlighting the fact that "the Church is not of herself holy but is made up of sinners, as we all know and we can all see. Rather, she is forever sanctified anew by Christ's purifying love. Not only has God spoken, He has loved us in a very real sense, loved us even unto the death of His own Son."HML/CHURCH:UNITY/STS PETER:PAUL VIS 20050630 (600)

VATICAN CITY, JUN 28, 2005 (VIS) - In the Paul VI Hall this evening, Benedict XVI participated in a celebration in his honor organized and promoted by the Family of St. Luigi Orione, the Youth Missionary Service - Arsenal of Peace from the Italian city of Turin, the Italian Civil Protection and the "Papaboys" Association.

A number of Italian singers, and a group of young disabled people from Poland, Jordan and Italy, participated in the celebration, the theme of which was "so many hearts around the Pope, messenger of peace."

In his address, the Holy Father recalled how St. Luigi Orione would "speak with intense affection of the person of the Pope, recognizing his role not only within the Church but also at the service of the entire human family."

After highlighting the fact that the evening's celebration had emphasized one particular aspect of the ministry of Peter's Successor, that of being a "messenger of peace," the Pope asked: "How can I not take advantage of your presence to render homage to so many silent 'builders of peace' who, through their testimony and their sacrifice, strive to promote dialogue between people, to overcome all forms of conflict and division, and to make of our world a homeland of peace and fraternity for all men and women?"

Benedict XVI encouraged everyone present, "each in their own field and in accordance with their possibilities, to offer their collaboration in safeguarding the dignity of all men, in defending human life and in undertaking decisive action for authentic peace in all social fields."

Addressing the young especially, the Pope concluded by recalling that his predecessor John Paul II, "whose cause of beatification begins today," liked to say "that you young people are the hope and future of the Church and of humanity. May there be an ever greater will in everyone's heart to create a world of authentic and stable peace."AC/POPE:PEACE/ORIONE VIS 20050630 (330)